Scams & Fraud

In early May, Susan noticed some unusual small charges from “Apple” on her Capital One credit card. Concerned, she called the number on the back of her card to dispute these charges, confident this was the best and safest step to protect her account. However, this call led her directly into the hands of scammers, who were somehow able to intercept what she believed was a trusted customer service line.

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Roy, who calls Webster, NH home, has been targeted several times for “beneficiary” scams, also known as “inheritance” scams.

Karen from Barnstead loves to cook and is always on the lookout for new recipes. One day, while surfing the web for a new addition to her cookbook, a pop-up came across her screen.

Wendy used to stay at timeshares as a guest until decided to purchase her own Florida timeshare that would be her home away from her home in Pembroke, NH. It was a great deal, so she bought a legitimate timeshare for $2,000 through the resort.

An AARP-backed law helps protect older adults against companies using aggressive tactics to sell phony extended warranties.

Curt, a Granite Stater who lives up north, was in the market for a used tractor for personal use. He decided to look at Facebook Marketplace. After searching for a bit, Curt found one listing that perfectly matched what he was looking for. He was thrilled! Using the chat feature, he contacted the seller to inquire about the price of the tractor as it was so low.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free resource for all. With AARP as your partner, you’ll

In a “Phantom Hacker” scam, a scammer calls, texts, or e-mails a victim posing as a computer technician and falsely tells the victim that the victim’s computer or other electronic device has a virus or has been hacked. The scammer tells the victim that the victim’s financial accounts are at risk. A scammer’s accomplice will then pose as an official from either a financial or government institution and convince the victim to move money from the financial accounts that are allegedly at risk in order to “protect the funds.” Often, the scammer has the victim transfer the victim’s funds into an account the scammer promises is safe, but in reality, is controlled by the scammer. In another variation, the scammer has the victim purchase valuable items, such as gold, and sends a courier to pick up these items from the victim’s home for “safekeeping.”